We Want It More

[sflegend89]

We want this game more. Flat out

To me this rivalry has really reached a tipping point. The arrogance and unquestioned confidence of the steelers has finally crossed the line with our players. That's not to say the Steelers are looking past us because they certainly aren't, but they seem to forget they were a few Baltimore [u]mental [/u]mistakes away from getting sent home during the playoffs IN Pitt last year (Not to mention we beat them in Pitt already, albeit Ben was out). After hearing guys like Wallace, Clark, and Hampton bash the Ravens legitimacy heading into this showdown, I honestly must say they finally got too cocky. I expect the steelers to go 100%, but the only difference is the Ravens will go 110%. I can't remember our players ever feeling this personally insulted by pitt.

The main thing the "analysts" seem to forget to account for is offseason progression. Pitt has no new starters, no significant new role players to speak of period. They've stayed the same in essence, their Defense is older than ours and will be as slow as they've ever been. On the other end of the coin the Ravens have added significant new talent all across the board. Not only have we gotten younger and much faster.. but we've added astonishing depth at just about every position. A rivalry that started off very equal in terms of personnel, may have quietly shifted in favor of the Ravens while the analysts continue to bicker over talking points against the Ravens that are no longer relevant. I think what we did during the offseason is enough to put us over the top.

Like I said last year I considered the Ravens and Steelers to be basically dead even in terms of personnel. While they kept intact what they already had, the Ravens have actually improved. Guys like Leach, Evans, Pollard, Jimmy, Kindle, Doss, McPhee WILL make a difference and people seem to forget to account for that. Not to mention our O-Line is improved over last season. With Oher going back to his natural position at RT and the addition of Veterans like McKinnie, Gurode, LeVoir and a promising talent in Jah Reid we have substantially more depth on the O-Line.

At the end of the Day you gotta get between the white lines and play, I think Pitt is starting to forget that. They haven't improved and we clearly have, our guys are hungry and disrespected. This game reminds me of the opener against the Jets last year, very similar tone heading into this game. That's the one game from last year I can say that we won because we flat out wanted it more. I predict the same thing will happen in this game. It's gonna be a grind, very close throughout, but the Ravens determination helps them steal this one in the 4th quarter.

[latenighthero]

Really?

[sflegend89]

^ post on topic or don't post at all. People like you ruin legitimate threads with stupid posts like that

[Mick0311]

lol

[ravens88]

i agree they have gone way to far i know our guys will shut them up they have been way to cocky hope they get pounded sunday

[sflegend89]

there's definitely a changing of tides going on. I think we are about to take the upper hand in this rivalry

[BohBalmerOsbohs]

dont think so

[codizzle]

No we dont.. Simple as that.. U could not possibly convince me that one team wants this game more tgan the other.. Want and need are two different things..
We Need it more

[codizzle]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1315613455' post='782397']
there's definitely a changing of tides going on. I think we are about to take the upper hand in this rivalry
[/quote]
it would take more than beating them once at home to completely "change the tide"

[ellicottraven]

There has never been a game that we have played against the Steelers that I have wanted to lose. However, I really badly want the Ravens to maul them into submission. Beat them up so badly it should leave a psychological impact and scare them every time they play the Ravens!

[mhead66]

[quote name='codizzle' timestamp='1315615046' post='782415']
No we dont.. Simple as that.. [b]U could not possibly convince me that one team wants this game more than the other[/b].. Want and need are two different things..
We Need it more
[/quote]
Agreed. It's impossible to quantitatively measure one team's [b]desire[/b], vs. another's.

New Orleans wanted to win that game as much as Green Bay did last night. Green Bay just made more plays, executed better.

[rlh445]

Really? Haha, sorry I had to. Seriously, I don't think any of us in is any position to judge who 'wants it more'. I would be much more inclined to assume that both teams are equally hungry to win the first game of the season against their rival, as are both fanbases. That said I do appreciate the passionate post. Go Ravens.

[1/28/01]

< They all want it
< No one forgets "you gotta get between the white lines and play"
< Steelers D "as slow as they've even been" is not slow at all

I do agree it will be close throughout the entire game

[jaege]

[quote name='codizzle' timestamp='1315615100' post='782416']
it would take more than beating them once at home to completely "change the tide"
[/quote]


That is true but it would be a beginning. Losing would just be more of the same.

[Ravens549]

According to some in here...its just another game. Not the end of the world.
I may just watch the fourth quarter.

[ravensfan160]

I don't think we want it more but I certainly think we need it more.

[PuRock]

How does one measure who wants it more?

OP says the Steelers haven't improved at all. But weren't they in the Super Bowl? It's not like they need to improve to reach the next level. We need to improve. We NEED this game more (but we can survive without it). But who wants it more? I would assume both sides, or else they aren't true professional football players.

[D_UP]

More like we need it more.

[CapoRocky]

This could come down to 1 to 3 points similar to the Jets game last year.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='CapoRocky' timestamp='1315674117' post='782708']
This could come down to 1 to 3 points similar to the Jets game last year.
[/quote]
Or an even more similar comparison could be any recent Balt/Pitt game

[sflegend89]

From a Steelers Forum, I was right on the money for all you haters!!!

[quote]Honestly, I think this game is like a Super Bowl for the Ravens. They have been pointing to this game since the schedule came out after last years playoffs.

Sure we take the game seriously but it is evident they are way way way more jacked up for the game than we are[/quote]

[1/28/01]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1315777754' post='786420']
From a Steelers Forum, I was right on the money for all you haters!!!
[/quote]
Cause one moron said so? They ALL wanted it out there....just one group got outplayed!!!

[Ed_Reed20]

Damn the reasoning. 35-7.

[PuRock]

Steelers wanted it.

You could tell how they pouted like little [profanity deleted]es when things weren't going their way. Ward and Ike Taylor were straight up Divas out there. It must be that time of the month.

[rlh445]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1315777754' post='786420']
From a Steelers Forum, I was right on the money for all you haters!!!
[/quote]

Ahh hate to break it to you, but Steeler fans seem to be saying that (this was their SB, they've been circling this date since last year, etc.) to make themselves feel better about being squashed. If you think Tomlin went into the locker room and told his boys, 'Don't worry guys, they had this circled on their calendar and they wanted it more, great game out there,' you are sorely mistaken. I would bet money that if the Ravens had this circled on their calendar, so did the Steelers.

[sflegend89]

You can't deny that we wanted this game more and played with much more energy.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1315783637' post='786715']
You can't deny that we wanted this game more and played with much more energy.
[/quote]
Sure we can....Pitt wanted this game too! We just executed better!

[sflegend89]

[quote name='1/28/01' timestamp='1315784469' post='786764']
Sure we can....Pitt wanted this game too! We just executed better!
[/quote]
what game were you watching. The intensity was on another level for us. Steelers never utilized their hurry up, not a single guy left it all on the field for pitt except maybe Harrison or Wallace. You could tell their confidence was high coming into this game (i.e: all the smack they talked coming into this game). They thought they could show up and just start where they left off (Superbowl hangover, quite common mental roadblock for teams coming off sb appearance). Obviously pitt didn't just go through the motions but the Ravens excessive preparation and sheer will to get monkey off their backs is what elevated us to such a dominate performance. I don't expect to even blow out the Titans this bad. This game went the way it did BECAUSE it's against the steelers and because they said they were gonna come in our house and just continue to smack us around.

You ever hear from one of your coaches: "Football is 90% mental, 10% physical". The mind set your team has heading into a game makes an enormous difference. I think the core message I tried to portray to you guys in my OP shined true today. This was a team win, we prepared better and played higher energy football as a team. Don't you remember what sizzle said before this game? our guys were pissed off and had something to prove. What do you think they thought about all offseason? That was my point. The humiliation and criticism finally reached a tipping point. It was a culmination of all these things that led to sweet victory today. With that being said let's stop arguing and be happy. Why fight amongst brotherin, when we should celebrate and bask in the glory of this victory. It is a happy day for all ravens fans and players a like.

[1/28/01]

[quote name='sflegend89' timestamp='1315786384' post='786841']
what game were you watching. The intensity was on another level for us. Steelers never utilized their hurry up, not a single guy left it all on the field for pitt except maybe Harrison or Wallace. You could tell their confidence was high coming into this game (i.e: all the smack they talked coming into this game). They thought they could show up and just start where they left off (Superbowl hangover, quite common mental roadblock for teams coming off sb appearance). Obviously pitt didn't just go through the motions but the Ravens excessive preparation and sheer will to get monkey off their backs is what elevated us to such a dominate performance. I don't expect to even blow out the Titans this bad. This game went the way it did BECAUSE it's against the steelers and because they said they  were gonna come in our house and just continue to smack us around.

You ever hear from one of your coaches: "Football is 90% mental, 10% physical". The mind set your team has heading into a game makes an enormous difference. I think the core message I tries to portray to you guys in my OP shined true today. This was a team win, we prepared better and played higher energy football as a team. Don't you remember what sizzle said before this game? our guys were pissed off and had something to prove. What do you think they thought about all offseason? That was my point. The humiliation and criticism finally reached a tipping point. It was a culmination of all these things that led to sweet victory today. With that being said let's stop arguing and be happy. Why fight amongst brotherin, when we should celebrate and bask in the glory of this victory. It is a happy day for all ravens fans and players a like.
[/quote]
Not fighting....you just cant convince me that one team wanted it more than the other. We just played better.

[scrock]

[quote name='rlh445' timestamp='1315778457' post='786459']

Ahh hate to break it to you, but Steeler fans seem to be saying that (this was their SB, they've been circling this date since last year, etc.) to make themselves feel better about being squashed. If you think Tomlin went into the locker room and told his boys, 'Don't worry guys, they had this circled on their calendar and they wanted it more, great game out there,' you are sorely mistaken. I would bet money that if the Ravens had this circled on their calendar, so did the Steelers.
[/quote]

yup, thats how ppl usually deal with defeat..I read the Steelers forum too just to see what they have to say, most of it is what i've been saying about their team...and they agree, secondary is suspect, OL is suspect, the defense is OLD